Steering apparatus for motor vehicles



C. G. WILLETT. STEERING APPARATUS Foa MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR27I192II 9m 2. 9| 11| E 2m. 1cm PWN er.. DM s d2 e M e Im D;

INVENTUPEE www@ LIIIIIIIUI AT IIII C. G. WILLETT. STEERING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. |921.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVEN EUR @5I/ULM. .oIwwwI tion.

Palmieri nee. ia iena f CHARLES GEORGE WILLIETT, `DE TRON'EO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

STEERING- .APPARATUS Application filed April 27,

To all (whom-t may concern Be it known that l, CHAnLns Geenen WIL- Ln'r'r, of the city of Toronto, in the county oi' York, Province oit Ontario, Canada, a subject of the King of `Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful `"improvements in Steering Apparatus ttor Motor Vehicles, el which the following is a specilicarlhis invention relates to iinprovenientsin steering wheels for motor vehicles, and my object is to devise a wheel, which, whenthe driver desires to get out of the car, may be swung up out ot the way in order to give the driver greater room to get out et his seat.

A further object is to `provide in connection with the wheel lockingmeans lor rendering the steering mechanism inoperative, which locking means willkbe brought into operation by any turning movement or `the steering wheel when it isfin raised position.`

l attain my objects by means ot the constructions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. '1 is a side elevation o a steering wheel constructed in accordance `with my invention, thel wheel being shown in dotted lines in raised position; j

Fig. 2 a pla-n view, partly broken away, showing the steering wheel in `'lull lines in inoperative position and in dotted lines in operative position;

Fig. 3 a section on the line aff-a in 2;

Fig. Ll a sectional detail in plan showing part of the locking means in `completely locked. position;

Fig. 5 a view similar to Fig. Ll showing the saine parts in partially locked position;

Fig. 6 a view similarto d showing the same parts in unloclred position; 'and Fig. 7 a sectional detail showing the means for locking the wheel supporting arms `in steering position.

lnthe drawings like numerals oi' .re-ierence indicate corresponding parts in the dii- Jferent figures. j

l is the steering column of a motor car. To the top of the column is secured the usual housing 2 in which is mounted the usual gearing for turning the steering spindle. On the housing is mounted the cover 5. rllhe housing, in the constrution shown, is provided with an external thread and the cover 3 with an internal thread in order that FR'VIOOR VEHICLES.

HD21. Serial No. 165,030.

the cover ,may be screwed on thehousing.` 'lne cover is thensuitably locked on the housing in order that the cover cannot vbe unscrewed. While Vvarious methods of locking the coveron the housing maybe dee vised, l show one `suitable form a pin l inserted in a hole 5 in the cover and extending down into the side of the housing, one Y half o'lf the pin engaging with the inner surfacey et the cover and the other halt engaging with the oiiiteisurface of the housing. The upper endet the hole 5 is closed by a suitable screw plug 37 so that the piny fr cannot be removed. j

@n the upper side oit the c ver 3 and in- "f therewith is te formed a bushing 6. ln the cover and bushing is suitably ournalled the steering pin l', which has the usual gear suitablyl serured to its lower` end meshing with the gearing in the housing 2.

The construction heretofore described relates to the application of niy device to a car of the Ford type, but it, will be understood that my device is equally applicable to cars of other makes, the important point being the provision ofthe bushing 6, or suitable part corresponding thereto, which is Atinedly connected at the upper end of the steering column, and having the steering pin 7,'or in some cases the steering spindle journalled tl'ierein,

itselfr,

Instead of securing the steering wheel 2O lonthis pin 7 or on the end ot' the steering spindle as is ordinarily the case, I mount on the pin 7 anarm men'iber 8, `which will be suitably keyed to one another to prevent the rotation et the member 8 relative to the pin l', and the member S will be retained on the pin l by means of a nut l5. rl`he ineinber `8 will be provided with a depending flange 9 which will entend down the side of the bushing 6 to a point adjacent the cover 3. `When the inemberl'is in position with the flange against thetop oit the cover, it will be impossible to remove the screw plug 37. The member Swill also be provided with an inner depending flange l2 which extends down within the bushing 6. lt will thus be seen that the member 8 has a very large bearing surta-fire against the bushing 6 Vso that there `will be `no danger of one parti-oekino' on the other. j

l n the member 8 adjacent its other kend is pivoted the arni member lO, by' means of a pin 1l secured adjacent one end ot the member l0. Adjacent the other end of the y .asthe member `10 arm member 10 is secured the upwardly extending pin 13, and on this pin is secured the steering wheel 20, Which is held in place by a suitable nut 111. The steeringr Wheel may be suitably keyed on the pin 13, or the Wheel may be prevented from' rotation by forming lugs 36 on the upper surface of the member 10 to engage the sides of one of the spokes of the Wheel. v

To lock the member 10 in position' with the pin 13 in alinement With the pin 7, l mount in the member 8 a plunger 16 adapted to engl ge in a hole 1'? yin the underside of the member 10. This plunger Will be provided with a. suitable spring 18 tending to hold the plunger extended. The plunger Will also, be provided with a suitable handle 19 extending through the side ot' the member l8 by mea-ns of Which the plunger 16may be retracted to allow the member 10 to be swung.

To allow the member 10 to swing back to the steering' position Without the necessity of operating the handle 19, l taper' oli the edge of the member 10 at 21so that 'the plunger 16 will automatically be retracted swings back to steering position, when as soon as the hole 17 comes into alineinent ivith'the plunger the plunger' ivill spring into the hole and thus prevent further movement 0;? the member 10 until the handle 19 is operated.

With the Vconstruction above described li ad that lr can combine suitable means for locking the steering'y mechanism so that it will be inoperative. F or this purpose l form on the pin 11 an enlarged hollow portion 22 and an eccentric -portion 23, While the small end of the pin extends through the under surface oi the member 3 and has the nut 24rthreaded thereon.

lMountedin the member 8 is the spring pressed plunger 25 normally extending into the bearing in the member in which the pin 11 is journalled. 'As the pin 11 is rotated in the bearing, the eccentric portion engage the plunger 25 and forces it forward through an opening in the bearing in the memberS for the bushing 6, which bushing is provided With a hole 26 to receivethe end ot the plunger and thus lock the member 8 troni rotation relative to the bushing 6.

The plunger 25, it Will be noted, is 'oll special construction. It consists of a hollow member 27.' lntothis member extends a pin v'28 normally held` extended in the memben 27 by means of a spring 29 located therein, 4and a second spring` 30 is mounted on the pin 23.` "W hen the member 27 is engaged by the eccentric 23, the member 27 is forced upon the pin 28, conmressing` the spring` 29, until the hole 26 is in alinement with the pin 28, when the spring 29 immediately forces the 'pin23 into the hole 26.

Mounted the end of the member 10 and in the hollow portion 22 is a lock 31. The keeper 32 ol this lock is normally held extended through the side of the portion 22 by means of a suitable spring, and in the side oi.l the bearing for the pin 11 in the member 8 is formed a hole 33`into which the keeper is adapted to engage, which keeper can only be retracted by means oit a key,7 operating the lock in the usual Way.

lxlhile a key-operated lock is shown, it Will be understood, et course, that l may use a dial-operated lock if such is preferred.

lhrough the member 10'is termed an oil hole .f3-i, Which'leads `down beside the pin 11 and `it will be noted that the partsare so arranged that oil poured into this hole Will percolate around all the parts Which move relative to one another.

lt 1will also be noted that the member 1Q iscut away at 35. This is to enclose the nut 15 to prevent the use of atool to remove the nut, and also permits the. cutting down of the height of the device.

The device Will'usually be made of aluminum or similar material, but all parts subj ect to Wear, such, tor example, as surrounding` the hole 17, surrounding the plungers 16 and 25, and'surrounding the pin 11, bushings of case-hardened steel `will be inserted, and further the plungers 16 and 25, the lkeeper 32, and other movable parts Will also be formed of similar material.

The operation of the device is as follows. llllien the steering Wheel is in operative position, the Wheel Will occupy the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 with the member 16 enactlT over the lmember 8 and the .pin 13 in alinement With the pin 7. Velbon the driver desires to leave the car, he presses down the handle 19 to retract the plunger 16 from the hole 1,7, when the member 10 is free to swing up to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the keeper 32 of the lock engaging in the hole Up to this point the steering mechanism is free to be operated and the driver may, if desired, leave` the parts in this position, as but a slight turningmovement'ot the steering Wheel kWill bring the plunger 25 in to engagement With the hole 26 in the bushing 6, when further operation of the steering mechanismjis impossible. To release the parts, it is merely necessary to operate the key in the lock 31 in the usual Way to retract the keeper 32, and as the member 10 is swung, the rotation of the eccentric permits the spring 30 to .retract the plunger 25rom engagement in the hole 26.

.From the construction described it Willv be seen that I have devised a construction which will satisfactorily attain the objects of my invention as set out in the preamble y .this specilcation. lt Will also beunderstood that various changes may be made in the details of my construction without departing 'from the spirit of my invention.

lt will be noted that an annular groove 38 is formed in the bushing 6. The object oi' this groove is to prevent anyone, when the parts are in extended locked position as shown in Fig. 5, from removing` the nut 15 and thus removing the arm 8 from the bushing 6. f

My device, it will be noted, may be easily attached to any existing cars, and the present steering wheel may be removed from the pin 7 and secured on the pin 13, or a new Wheel substituted as may be desired.

It will also be noted that the locking operation is entirely automatic, the use` of keys during the locking operation being entirely avoided. i

What l claim as my invention is l. In steering apparatus for motor cars, the combination of a steering spindle; an arm secured at one end on said steering spindle; a second arm one end of which is pivoted adjacent the free end of the tiret mentioned arm; a spring actuated plunger mounted in one oi' said arms, the other arm having an opening therein with Which the plunger is adapted to engage and also having a bevelled portion adapted to force back the plunger to engage it in said opening; key-releasable means adapted to lautomatically lock said Second mentioned arm when it rea-ches its extended position; vand a steering` Wheel secured adjacent the free end of the second mentioned arm.

2. lin steering apparatus for motor cars, the combination of a steering column; a bushing secured on said column; a steering spindle rotatable Within said bushing; an arm secured at one end to said spindle but normally rotatable relative to said bushing; a second arm -one end of Which is pivoted adjacent the free end ot the first mentioned arm; means for locking the second mentioned arm in extended position;

means Jfor locking the first mentioned arm from rotation relative to the bushing; and ay steering Wheel securedadjacent the tree end of the second mentioned arm.

3. ln steering apparatus for motor cars,

' bushing but not completely j arm; means operable by the svvin `second mentioned arm on its pivot for lockthe combination oie a steering column; a secured on said column; a steering spindle rotatable `Within said bushing; an arm secured at one end to said spindle but normally rotatable relative to said bushing; a second arm one end of which is pivoted adjacent the tree end of 'the first mentioned arm; means for locking the second-mentioned arm when the aXes of the steering spindle and steering Wheel are in substantial alinement; means 'for locking the second mentioned arm in extended position; means for locking the rst mentioned arm 'from rotation relative to the bushing; and a steeringvivheel secured adjacent the free end of the second mentioned arm.

4i. In steering apparatus for motor cars; the combination oi a steering column, a bushingy secured on said column; a steering spindle journalled in said bushing; an arm secured at one end to said spindle but normally rotatable relative to said bushing; a second arm one end oit which is pivoted adjacent the 'tree end of the first mentioned ging of the ing the first mentioned arm Yfrom rotation relative to the bushing; and a steering Wheel secured adjacent the free end of the `second mentioned arm.

5. ln steeringl apparatus ormotoi cars; the combination of `a steering column;` a bushing secured on said column; a steering spindle journalled in` said bushing; an arm secured at one end to said spindle but normally rotatable relative to said bushingja second arm one end of which is pivoted adjacent the free end of the irstmentioned arm; a plunger mounted in the iirst mentioned arm adapted `to engage said bushing but normally held out of engagement therewith, the pivot ci' the second mentioned arm having an eccentric portion formed thereon by means yof which said plunger is operated; and a steering Wheel secured adjacent the Jiree end oic the second mentioned arm.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, this 19th day of April, 1921.

CHARLES GEORGE VVLLETT. 

